Blackberry Cobbler with Cornmeal Biscuits

A Topping with Bite

A cobbler is made with fruit that turns soft and juicy in the oven, topped with a layer of dough that looks more like coarse biscuits than a sealed pie crust. Here, ripe blackberries are paired with lemon zest and a modest amount of sugar. The berries are naturally tart; the sugar softens their sharpness without overpowering the fruit. In the Netherlands, fresh blackberries are usually plentiful in late summer. Frozen blackberries work too when they’re out of season: thaw them first and drain off any excess liquid so the filling doesn’t become unnecessarily watery.

The biscuits combine wheat flour with cornmeal. The cornmeal gives them a slightly grainy, firm bite and a warm, wholesome flavor that goes well with the soft fruit. Use fine or medium-ground cornmeal, not cornstarch: they’re different products, and cornstarch won’t give you the same texture. Cold butter is important. When you rub it into the dry ingredients, small pieces of butter remain in the dough; they melt in the oven and help make the biscuits light and crumbly. Stir in the buttermilk briefly. A sticky, uneven dough is just right; kneading it for too long will make the topping dense.

Drop the dough in loose, rough mounds over the blackberries, leaving some space between them. This lets the steam escape and allows the fruit to bubble visibly around the edges of the biscuits. Set the baking dish on a baking sheet if you want to avoid spills: blackberry juice can run over the edge during baking. The cobbler is ready when the biscuits are golden brown and the filling is bubbling in several places. If the topping is already dark but the fruit isn’t bubbling yet, loosely cover it with aluminum foil and continue baking.

Buttermilk makes the dough slightly tangy and soft. No buttermilk on hand? Stir plain yogurt with a splash of milk until it’s about as pourable. Other berries, such as raspberries or blueberries, can replace some of the blackberries; keep the total amount of fruit the same. Taste the fruit first and adjust the sugar slightly if it’s unusually sweet or tart. The lemon zest is still useful for a bright, fragrant note.

Serve the cobbler warm, while the blackberry sauce is still runny and the biscuits have crisp tops. A spoonful of unsweetened cream makes a cool, creamy counterpoint without overpowering the fruity flavor. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator and reheat them in a low oven; the topping will firm up again, though it won’t be as crisp as when freshly baked.